Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Cybercriminals are constantly inventing new ways to deceive citizens. For example, the number of cases of fraud using deepfake technology has been growing recently. Using artificial intelligence, attackers reproduce voice messages and video calls allegedly from relatives, friends or colleagues. Then, using synthesized voices and videos, they try to lure out personal information and gain access to citizens' savings. At the project event "Call me back yourself" Experts talked about common techniques used by criminals who use deepfake technology and gave useful recommendations to help protect yourself and your loved ones.
Today, one of the most common methods of fraud based on deepfake technology is fake video calls, audio and images generated using artificial intelligence. Criminals can send a message in a messenger and even make a video call on behalf of relatives, friends, bosses and colleagues. They use audio, photos and video materials from social networks recorded during the conversation to create realistic messages. Then, based on this data, a neural network creates a digital double. This is done by superimposing a face on top of another on a real video recording. In some cases, the message is completely generated by artificial intelligence.
After creating a deepfake, criminals begin an attack on a person. They send him a voice message, call him on a messenger via video link under the guise of a relative, friend, colleague or boss. At first, the fake character has a normal, confidential conversation, but then moves on to luring personal information, asking for money for some needs, for example, for treatment, or demanding to transfer it to some mythical safe account.
"Fraudsters play out their schemes in several stages: first, they collect and process information about a potential victim, then they establish contact with them and lead them to the final maneuver – a call or video message supposedly from a person the user trusts. Under stress and psychological pressure, they can believe the deepfake, transfer money to the attackers or transfer personal information. To protect yourself, you do not need to block all calling friends and colleagues on your phone: you can recognize synthesized speech and images even despite their high realism and accuracy. Signs of deception may include unnatural facial expressions, desynchronization of voice and video, suspicious elements in the photo, unusual wording or pronunciation errors, a mechanical, emotionless voice," said Valentina Shilina, head of the "Call Back Yourself" project of the Moscow
Department of Information Technology.
There are other ways to recognize a deepfake. For example, if the call is not from the subscriber's usual number. You also need to consider the manner of communication. An attempt to intimidate, evoke strong emotions, force prompt decision-making, and other methods of psychological pressure may indicate the actions of an intruder. If any of the signs are noticed, the video call and communication should be stopped. To find out whether the call was from a relative or friend, you should contact the subscriber in another way to clarify the details.
Simple recommendations from experts will help protect you from fraudsters when communicating in messengers. So, when answering a suspicious call, do not say "yes", "I agree", "I confirm". Criminals can record the moment these words are spoken, and then use them to confirm any transactions on behalf of the deceived person.
In addition, to communicate with family and friends, it is worth thinking up a password or a security question with an answer in advance. In the future, this will help determine that the conversation is not a fraudster. Attackers collect basic information about their victims and may already know some details of a person's life, so a funny, unusual or absurd question will help confuse criminals.
Experts also remind that you should not share SMS codes to access confidential information with anyone. No organization or company will ask you to disclose the code; only scammers will do this. And a public figure, such as a famous artist, blogger, or TV presenter, will never call an ordinary person.
In addition, government organizations, law enforcement agencies, and companies do not use personal numbers and messengers. To check the information, it is enough to find out the landline phone number on the official website of the organization and call it to clarify the details. As a rule, all issues are resolved during a personal meeting at the official representative office. Also, to protect the device and account from theft and hacking, the user should set up two-factor authorization wherever possible: in banking and official applications, messengers, accounts on the government services portal.
Learn more about how scammers use deepfakes and get useful and clear recommendations from experts in the webinar recording "Call me back yourself". The project website also contains a memo with basic information on the topic. "Deepfake Scams: How to Avoid Being Scammed?".
A free telegram bot will help you check the audio message you received for synthesized speech and signs of fraud "Stopfake", created as part of the "Call Back Yourself" project. The service uses artificial intelligence to analyze sent text messages, screenshots of correspondence, and audio files, determining the likelihood of fraudulent schemes.
The online information project "Call Back Yourself" was created in 2022. It helps city residents protect themselves and their loved ones from telephone and Internet fraud.project website information about upcoming in-person and online events is available, as well as memos and recommendations from experts, recordings of past webinars and other useful materials.
You can learn more about the capital's digital ecosystem and study the history of technology development over 30 years thanks to this popular science film "Moscow in Digital".
The creation and support of information security tools, as well as counteracting cyber fraud, are in line with the objectives of the national project "Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State".
Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
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